Entries from September 30th, 2009

September 30th, 2009 by Stu

One of our loyal left coast readers caught this demonic T-Rex carving up the Hollywood hills on Tuesday. Needless to say, Audrina and Kristen are not the only ones that can make a scene in downtown LA. 3-wheeled motorcycle sightings are few and far between but running into one of these exotic Canadian-built trikes is cause for celebration. We’re not sure about how many are on the road but they have been on sale for about 15 years and this writer can count how many he has seen on one hand.

September 29th, 2009 by Ian

We spotted this ultra-rare Moto Guzzi 1000S on West 23rd in Chelsea. The striking green and black livery, which extends from the sheet metal all the way through to the V7 frame and swing arm, represented one of two color combos available (orange and black was the other) during the brief production run (‘89-’93) of just 1,360 units. Although this green hornet is aged the better part of 20 years, the design was considered retro at the time, paying homage to the ‘74 750S and ‘75 740S3 models.

September 24th, 2009 by Ian

The mid to late 60s were a good time to get American muscle on the cheap. The 1968 Chevelle SS, for instance, offered a honkin 396-cid V8 as standard equipment for less than $3,000. You can’t even get a decent paint job these days for that kind of money. ‘68 also saw a major redesign and was the last year that the Chevelle SS was offered as a stand alone model (For 1969, the SS 396 became an option package on all Chevelles). The new design took on the popular Coke Bottle shape and was characterized by a short rear deck, stretched out hood and semi-fastback look in the rear. This flamed out example was caught loitering on Greenwich in all of its customized glory.

September 23rd, 2009 by Stu

Audi is sick and tired of people viewing them as Germany’s number 3 luxury brand and the thoroughly exotic R8 is evidence. The hand assembled, mid engine super coupe from Audi’s high performance quattro GmbH subsidiary is the brand’s unabashed halo model, creating excitement and shining the design spotlight on less costly lookers like the new-for-2008 A4 and and the dashingly handsome A5. We caught this NJ-based example, cloaked in Ice Silver Metallic with Apollo Silver slingblade, parked outside Dos Caminos on Park for late night empanadas.

September 22nd, 2009 by Stu

The hipster piloting this white Scion xB stopped into Blue Smoke for some urban BBQ and live Jazz last night. The xB, or bB as it is known in Japan, was the founding member of the boxy fraternity Americans have come to embrace over the years and has spawned many imitators like the Kia Soul and Nissan Cube since hitting the scene back in 2004. While the refrigerator-like dimensions won’t win any awards for aerodynamics at the wind tunnel, they do make damn good use of interior space.

September 21st, 2009 by Ian

We caught this stunning 2+2 sitting pretty on Central Park West. Most mentally sound individuals would think twice about parking their $120,000 Italian sports car on a busy urban street. But most people don’t live in Manhattan, where such careless disregard for high ticket items is entirely acceptable and not-at-all worrisome. Hey, if you have the bankroll to finance such a fabulous automobile than we would imagine your insurance payments are all up to date. We wonder if the Pininfarina-designed body would look silly with a Bumper Badger attached to the back.

September 21st, 2009 by Ian

We spotted this street legal rally racer on the Upper West Side Sunday. The new-for-2008 Impreza body style looks good in STI trim – more upscale than the previous generation model but still sporting that boy racer charm we have grown so fond of. STI, or Subaru Techinca International, is of course Subaru’s motorsports division responsible for World Rally Car preparation and the brand’s line-up of high performance passenger cars.

September 18th, 2009 by Ian

Summer is nearly over and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the splendid weather, on a Friday no less, than to go out and enjoy an ice cream cone. It’s okay to treat yourself once and a while so skip the line a Pink Berry and head to the Meatpacking district (or SOHO) in search of one of these buttery yellow, retrofitted postal vans dishing out high-quality Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.

September 17th, 2009 by Ian

September 16th, 2009 by Ian

The Defender 90 is already a pretty capable little ute. But equipped with Hella lights up top, added fogs in the grille, supersized hazard lights on the fenders and a Warn winch up front, this green hard top spotted on West 20th looks ready to take on just about anything Manhattan can muster. So watch out flash floods. Pot holes, eat your heart out. And cabbies…you better steer clear. This all terrain warrior is ready for action, or a natural disaster, whichever comes first.